Vehicle-hub



(Model.)

T. s. MILLER.

VEHICLE HUB,

No. 307,789. Patentd Nov. 11, 1884.

Nrrnn THOMAS S. MILLER, OF THE GROVE, TEXAS.

VEHICLE-HUB.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,789, dated November 11, 1884.

Application filed January 16, 1884.

(Model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, T. S. MILLER, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at The Grove, in the county of Goryell and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVagon and Buggy Hubs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention pertains to an improvement in vehicle-wheels; and it consists in the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, whereby a single damaged spoke may be removed and a new spoke inserted without releasing the several spokes comprising .the wheel in the construction of the wedges for such removal; in providing in the hub-section A a recess, a, adapted for reception of washers a, for forcingthe wedges, and nut-lock A serially pointed and screwed to tubular box B, and adapted to corresponding grooves in sections A substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved wheelhub. Fig. 2 is a perspective View with the wedges and the nut moved a short distance from the remaining parts. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the wedges. Fig.6 is a form of locknut which may be used with my invention. Fig. 7 is a withdrawing device for the wedges, and Fig. 8 shows 'in a slightly-enlarged plan view the manner in which it is'applied.

In the construction of my vehicle-wheel the box of the hub is preferably made of the detachable malleable-metal sections A and A". v A is a hollow cast-metal conical wedge or box fitted into the hubsection A B represents wedges, which are forced in the space between the inner side of the mortised end of the section A and section A (which latter receives the inner enlarged ends of the spokes,) and the smaller portion of the conical wedge A. The outer surfaces of the wedges are thus forced against and firmly wedge the inner ends of the spokes into the aforesaid mortises of section A while the innertapering ends of said wedges enter the annular space K of said section A which allows for the further wedging movement of the wedges in compensating shrinkage, The hollow conical wedge or box A tapers from rear to front to correspond with the coincidenttaper of the wedges B, and as each wedge is forced with a distinct pressure upon a coincident spoke the outward pressure upon the spokesis rendered uniform, and the felly is held rigidly against the tire, and the tendency to loosening from unequal pressure against the ends of the spokes is obviated. These wedges thus arranged are readily and firmly tightened by rotating the same with a wrench applied to an octagonal shoulder, b, Fig. 1, which is cast integral with section A WVhen hub-section A is thus ro tated upon the threaded end of tubular box B, washer a in recess a is forced against the wedges B. The washers z are designed for making a close joint in adj u'sting the sections. Section A is secured against rotation by a nutlock A as is more plainly shown in Fig. 6, having a serially pointed disk-nut, which is fitted into a recess or housing, I), of section A the recess, Fig. 7, having grooves ar channels corresponding to the serially pointed disknut. The nut-lock A is apertured at b for reception of screws,which screw into corresponding apertures, N, Fig. 6, provided in the tubular box B, as shown in Fig; 7. The tubular box B is rigidly secured in hub-section A as against turning by ribs Z, cast thereon,which, entering notches or recesses in said section, extend through the center of the hub, as shown, audit is provided with a screw-threaded extension, A, adapted to the female screw in the center of the hub-section A Hub-box section A comprises the outer end of the hub, and is provided with a recess, a, and into this recess the outer ends of the wedges B fit, the shoulder a being brought into contact with the washer a, and thus the wedges B, when tightened,are made to slide upon the conical wedge A.

As seen in Fig. 7, I provide a device for withdrawing the wedges B in removing the spokes or a spoke, thehook end thereof being inserted into the notches of said wedges,while its upturned end is struck with a hammer when said operation is performed.

It will be observed that this peculiar construction and arrangement of parts enables the tire to be tightened without opening the hub; that the outward pressure upon the ends of the spokes is rendered uniform; that the outside portion of the hub acts as a nut, the latter being secured as against loosening by a nut-lock, as before stated; and that the use of an interior thimble and nut, which works loose and renders this class of wheels objectionable and unreliable, is wholly avoided, and that by casting the hub-box section A separately from the hollow wedge or box A the latter can be renewed when worn without requiring the making of an entire new hub; and it will also be observed that a single spoke injured or unsuitable may be removed and replaced with a new one without releasing the several spokes comprising the wheel, and that the wedges are adapted by their peculiar construction to admit of removal of a single spoke at a time.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to tighten the spokes of vehicle-wheels by use of a cone-wedge fitted between the box and the hub-sections, and that a nut-lock has also been I 

